A mother of two shares in an exclusive interview with TNN’s Trevor Lindsay how her life was turned upside down when she lost her 16-year-old daughter in a serious road accident on Sunday, May 30.
“ One minute, I feel like my memories of her keep me going. The next minute, I feel like they are the things that bring me down,” Heidi Bridges said. “ I do not know how I am going to wake up tomorrow, in three months, or a year without my baby girl, but I am praying for a sign from her to let her know that I was there with her, that she did not suffer, and that we will meet again one day.”
Ms. Bridges was driving along South Shore Road in Southampton, about three minutes behind her daughter Amber, who was on a 50cc motor bike, when she and other drivers were instructed to turn around and take a detour due to a very serious road accident that was up ahead.
“ A cold feeling came over my body [at that moment], I jumped out of the car as my friend was turning around and I thought that might be my baby,” Ms. Bridges said. “ I ran through the people stopping traffic and there she was. I did not see any of the accident, I just saw the result of it.” Ms. Bridges’ youngest child, Amber would have turned 17 on August 13.
“ My birthday was the next day, so that day will never be the same again,” she said.
Amber was an avid equestrian and loved horses, but she forged an extremely close and special bond with one particular horse, for which she would do anything for.
“Aside from her brother, that horse was probably her best friend,” Ms. Bridges said.
According to Ms. Bridges, her daughter was wise far beyond her years, excelled in school despite not liking it very much and was very kind and empathetic towards others.
“ Amber always thought of others before herself and was such a strong young woman,” Ms. Bridges said. “ We are really going to miss that light in our lives.”
Shortly after Amber’s passing, a group of people reached out to Solstice Wellness Center, who in turn asked Ms. Bridges if they could pay tribute to Amber through social media. Ms. Bridges said yes in a heartbeat.
“ Her friends are suffering so terribly right now with the pain and loss and I wanted to encourage everyone to come out and support one another, because it is what Amber would have done and wanted,” Ms. Bridges said.
Even though Ms. Bridges worried about her daughter constantly due to being her mother, there was never any doubt in her mind that Amber would get a bike when she turned 16.
“ Teens learn from independence and I just had to pray that she would be safe every time that she left the house,” she said.
“ Unfortunately, this was not the time.”
Ms. Bridges would like to thank everyone for their kind words of comfort and love. However, this is an extremely overwhelming time for her and her family, and she will respond to everyone in due course.
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